Amalia Kalambaka

Our trip had to be cancelled because of the farmers' strikes. The cancellation was past the grace period, but the hotel manager got in touch and said there would be no cancellation fee given the circumstances. We really appreciated that and will consider staying there in the near future.

The included breakfast was great, and the pool was one of the best I've used at a hotel in Greece. The staff were very nice, too. Getting around is easy enough, with a 15-minute drive to Meteora and about 10 minutes to the highway south. The hotel itself feels like a step back in time, with old carpets, faded wall pictures, grand proportions, and empty halls. Still, the rooms are large and accommodating. It's a tricky place to review.

The restaurant and pool were lovely, but the beds felt like cardboard covered in tissue paper, and the pillows were so flat I barely noticed them. I've stayed at two other hotels in this chain in Greece, and both had the same problem.

The people were nice, management apologized when I spoke with them, and everything else about the hotel was satisfying. But rooms 301 and 302 smelled like dirty ashtrays, as if years of smoke had settled into the carpets and drapes. I woke up twice feeling unable to breathe, and airing the rooms out before bed didn't help. The hotel was full with two tour buses, so we couldn't change rooms after paying. I don't like leaving bad reviews, but I want people, especially non-smokers, to know what happened to us. I wouldn't have stayed if I'd seen a review like this.